Boardwalk No Longer Our Favorite

[gojoe]

We have just spent the Christmas weekend at Boardwalk; our home resort. During previous trips, we had noticed that the resort seemed different. Notably absent were the beautiful floral arrangements in the entry. My wife has always loved the flowers in the entry, lobby and other common areas. This was one of the “touches” that made Boardwalk a deluxe resort. Our trip before the holidays was in October. At that time, we inquired at the desk and were told they were getting ready for Christmas decorations so this is why the areas were bare. There have been other changes that we have seen, and have attributed those to cost-cutting. The changes are not limited to décor; the quality of guest services has diminished. We do understand some of these so we are not averse to changes.

Upon arrival on Friday, the entry did have a floral arrangement, just one - in the entry. I had seen others’ posts and pictures of the lobby this year but my wife had not. I had tried to prepare her but she could not believe her eyes. Long gone were Donald, Daisy, Lewy, Huey and Dewey-even Stitch was more festive than this. In its’ place was a table, a cash register, a few ginger bread houses (made from the kits they were selling). The only thing I can say is WOW! What had happened to the holiday décor that we had enjoyed in previous years? Is this what has happened to all of the resorts? No –Boardwalk seems to be the only resort suffering from anemic holiday displays.

Our morning plan was to visit the Epcot resorts to see the holiday decor. Dolphins' tree with its’ train was beautiful. ; as was the Chocolate Santa at Swan or is it the other way around. The Yacht and Beach Clubs were beautiful as always. During the course of our weekend we visited the Contemporary, Poly, Floridian, Wilderness, Jambo & Kidani. We could find the Hidden Mickeys or Olafs in the displays. The other resorts never gave us the feeling their only purpose was to sell us a gingerbread kit. All were very beautiful; some more than others. Happy Festivus!

We had done online check-in requesting an 1) upper floor, 2) near the elevator. We received the text stating that our room was ready while we were touring resorts. The room assigned to us was Room 1005. This room was on the ground floor, and at the end of the corridor. I know requests aren't guaranteed but this was the complete opposite. Our experience has been that if we request a preference at Boardwalk, we are pretty sure we will be assigned the opposite of our request. We haven’t had this issue at other resorts. We headed back to see if we could change rooms.

I have a question maybe someone could answer. What are the cast members at the front desk staring at on their screens when they are not helping a guest? Mind you no one was ahead of us and no one was checking in but there we stood waiting for someone to acknowledge us and ask to help us. Even what I assume was a manger was too busy in conversation to notice us. I'm 6'2" 260 lbs. wearing a bright red shirt, tough to miss. Finally with half a smile we were asked if she could help. We were told no other room was available (studio) but they could change us for our next night. She told us they would leave a message on our phone with instructions to confirm the switch. We didn’t receive a phone call; we had to follow up with the front desk to make our move the following day.

This was not the first time we have stayed in this room. Last time I had issues with the mold (common in ground level). I explained this to the cast member and was told the room had recently been refurbished and it would not be a problem. This time the room’s mold was in remission. I spotted adhesive being pushed up through the vinyl floor. This is usually caused by moisture pushing the adhesive up through the cracks. It hasn’t rained much in Orlando for a few months so mold was not a problem this trip but this room has ongoing issues.

This love lost of the Boardwalk has been building for a while, with its’ less than friendly staff. This comment may be bit strong but there is a marked difference between resorts. We have many encounters with so many cast members that make our stay very magical-just not as many at the Boardwalk. This was once our favorite. We are sad to say that this is no longer true.

 

[disneynutz]

BWI/BWV are under a different management now, that may be part of the issue. We also noted that decorations were lacking and the lobby strange decorations. I reported that CM's at the resort had told us that the decorations had been reduced but some readers don't agree.

IMO BWI/BWV is considered behind BC/BCV with the YC being on top for Epcot resorts. Again IMO Disney stages the resorts in a pecking order with GF/GFV being on top of all of the resorts in Disney's world.

Bill

 

[DebbieB]

We have just spent the Christmas weekend at Boardwalk; our home resort. During previous trips, we had noticed that the resort seemed different. Notably absent were the beautiful floral arrangements in the entry. My wife has always loved the flowers in the entry, lobby and other common areas. This was one of the “touches” that made Boardwalk a deluxe resort. Our trip before the holidays was in October. At that time, we inquired at the desk and were told they were getting ready for Christmas decorations so this is why the areas were bare. There have been other changes that we have seen, and have attributed those to cost-cutting. The changes are not limited to décor; the quality of guest services has diminished. We do understand some of these so we are not averse to changes.

Upon arrival on Friday, the entry did have a floral arrangement, just one - in the entry. I had seen others’ posts and pictures of the lobby this year but my wife had not. I had tried to prepare her but she could not believe her eyes. Long gone were Donald, Daisy, Lewy, Huey and Dewey-even Stitch was more festive than this. In its’ place was a table, a cash register, a few ginger bread houses (made from the kits they were selling). The only thing I can say is WOW! What had happened to the holiday décor that we had enjoyed in previous years? Is this what has happened to all of the resorts? No –Boardwalk seems to be the only resort suffering from anemic holiday displays.

Our morning plan was to visit the Epcot resorts to see the holiday decor. Dolphins' tree with its’ train was beautiful. ; as was the Chocolate Santa at Swan or is it the other way around. The Yacht and Beach Clubs were beautiful as always. During the course of our weekend we visited the Contemporary, Poly, Floridian, Wilderness, Jambo & Kidani. We could find the Hidden Mickeys or Olafs in the displays. The other resorts never gave us the feeling their only purpose was to sell us a gingerbread kit. All were very beautiful; some more than others. Happy Festivus!

We had done online check-in requesting an 1) upper floor, 2) near the elevator. We received the text stating that our room was ready while we were touring resorts. The room assigned to us was Room 1005. This room was on the ground floor, and at the end of the corridor. I know requests aren't guaranteed but this was the complete opposite. Our experience has been that if we request a preference at Boardwalk, we are pretty sure we will be assigned the opposite of our request. We haven’t had this issue at other resorts. We headed back to see if we could change rooms.

I have a question maybe someone could answer. What are the cast members at the front desk staring at on their screens when they are not helping a guest? Mind you no one was ahead of us and no one was checking in but there we stood waiting for someone to acknowledge us and ask to help us. Even what I assume was a manger was too busy in conversation to notice us. I'm 6'2" 260 lbs. wearing a bright red shirt, tough to miss. Finally with half a smile we were asked if she could help. We were told no other room was available (studio) but they could change us for our next night. She told us they would leave a message on our phone with instructions to confirm the switch. We didn’t receive a phone call; we had to follow up with the front desk to make our move the following day.

This was not the first time we have stayed in this room. Last time I had issues with the mold (common in ground level). I explained this to the cast member and was told the room had recently been refurbished and it would not be a problem. This time the room’s mold was in remission. I spotted adhesive being pushed up through the vinyl floor. This is usually caused by moisture pushing the adhesive up through the cracks. It hasn’t rained much in Orlando for a few months so mold was not a problem this trip but this room has ongoing issues.

This love lost of the Boardwalk has been building for a while, with its’ less than friendly staff. This comment may be bit strong but there is a marked difference between resorts. We have many encounters with so many cast members that make our stay very magical-just not as many at the Boardwalk. This was once our favorite. We are sad to say that this is no longer true.

That's my big fear with boardwalk view, getting one of those first floor rooms. Not only a reduced view but there isn't much privacy. I always request top floor, I've been lucky I only got 2nd floor once and the rest of the times 3, 4 or 5. There are only a handful of boardwalk view studios that are closer to the elevator, we did get one once over the store.

Where were you moved to? Did they charge the cleaning fee?

 

[jiminy14]

We have owned at BWV since 1996 and no longer stay there. We have seen a steady decline in guest services, housekeeping, and general resort upkeep. On our last visit, our room was so dirty upon check-in that we had to have mousekeeping come in for additional cleaning. Tables, doors, and light switches were all covered in a sticky substance.
My DH constantly complains about the parking situation especially on the weekend when the valet section is enlarged. I have heard that the busing situation has improved but when we stayed there the buses were always overcrowded to the point that you couldn't get on.
We have stayed at all of the deluxe resorts and would rather stay at AKL Jambo House or BLT then to stay at BWV.

 

[quandrea]

This worries me. We have a ten night stay coming. I'm wondering if I should just change to SSR, which I know we like. It's a no park trip. I've also heard about construction.

 

[disneynutz]

This worries me. We have a ten night stay coming. I'm wondering if I should just change to SSR, which I know we like. It's a no park trip. I've also heard about construction.

Why not do a split stay, 5 at BWV, 5 at SSR?

Bill

 

[quandrea]

Why not do a split stay, 5 at BWV, 5 at SSR?

Bill

With three small kids, we find split stays to be a huge aggravation.

 

[DisneyRegulars]

This worries me. We have a ten night stay coming. I'm wondering if I should just change to SSR, which I know we like. It's a no park trip. I've also heard about construction.

There is so much going on at Disney Springs now, I would want to be near there for a no park trip. Plus two pools with slides versus only one at BW. Saratoga would win for me for a no park trip for sure.

 

[CarolMN]

If you haven't already, please send your comments to guest services and/or Member Satisfaction and if possible, note it on the after-visit surveys. If enough of us do that, I believe good changes will come (albeit slowly). IMO, Disney interprets no complaints/feedback as everyone is happy.

 

[gojoe]

If you haven't already, please send your comments to guest services and/or Member Satisfaction and if possible, note it on the after-visit surveys. If enough of us do that, I believe good changes will come (albeit slowly). IMO, Disney interprets no complaints/feedback as everyone is happy.

We have expressed our views, while we were there, survey and e-mail to guest services. I hope you are right and change does come.

 

[LisaS]

This worries me. We have a ten night stay coming. I'm wondering if I should just change to SSR, which I know we like. It's a no park trip. I've also heard about construction.

I don't doubt the OP's issues with the assigned room and the lack of service at the front desk, but want to offer you another data point before you change your plans. We had a wonderful stay at BWV in October. Every CM we dealt with (front desk, bell services, maintenance, housekeeping) was friendly and helpful. Other than a small spot on the couch, our room was clean. It had been a while since our last visit to BWV so I can't say whether there were fewer flowers or other touches than on previous stays. We did have an issue with a lack of hot water in the kitchen (but not the bathroom fortunately) but they were working on the plumbing during our stay so perhaps that had something to do with it. Maintenance did try to fix it during our stay but were unsuccessful. Otherwise everything was great and I wouldn't hesitate to go back to BWV.

 

[quandrea]

I don't doubt the OP's issues with the assigned room and the lack of service at the front desk, but want to offer you another data point before you change your plans. We had a wonderful stay at BWV in October. Every CM we dealt with (front desk, bell services, maintenance, housekeeping) was friendly and helpful. Other than a small spot on the couch, our room was clean. It had been a while since our last visit to BWV so I can't say whether there were fewer flowers or other touches than on previous stays. We did have an issue with a lack of hot water in the kitchen (but not the bathroom fortunately) but they were working on the plumbing during our stay so perhaps that had something to do with it. Maintenance did try to fix it during our stay but were unsuccessful. Otherwise everything was great and I wouldn't hesitate to go back to BWV.

Thank you for this. I talked it over with dh today and we are sticking with our plans. Worst case scenario, I'll have to clean when we get there and if so, I'll make any issues known. We booked BWV so we could be near all the hotels and restaurants around Crescent Lake. We also want to enjoy the new renovations. Every resort has its drawbacks. This is a new adventure. As for flowers--dh is massively allergic. He will be glad they are gone!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

This worries me. We have a ten night stay coming. I'm wondering if I should just change to SSR, which I know we like. It's a no park trip. I've also heard about construction.

I'll also provide another review. Last year stayed at BWV both in Feb and April. It's probably the resort we stay at most often. While I've certainly read many reports about requests not being met, especially at BWV, our general experience has been the opposite and last year they went above and beyond when we had two rooms and I even had a switch of views from the first night. They kept all the rooms within 2 doors of each other and in the area I requested. In general I've had good CM interaction, friendly and trying to be helpful. For whatever reason they often fail at getting my MB working for the door....or even when it might then I get assigned a room where the batteries are dead on the lock. It's my thing at BWV.

Never had an issue with room cleanliness and there is a particularly awesome housekeeper in the Boardwalk view area. Repairs or missing items have been taken care of well within a reasonable amount of time - most often what I'd call an immediate response.

We rotate thru most of the resorts pretty regularly and have our own experiences. There is nothing at any of them that would discourage me from any of them. We've run into less than magical CMs at all of them along the way, and good CMs at all of them. So our stays are instead based on where we want to be for location or amenities desired for that trip. Everything else - room cleanliness, CMs, requests are all equal enough to not be factors.

 

[robinb]

We have just spent the Christmas weekend at Boardwalk; our home resort. During previous trips, we had noticed that the resort seemed different. Notably absent were the beautiful floral arrangements in the entry. My wife has always loved the flowers in the entry, lobby and other common areas. This was one of the “touches” that made Boardwalk a deluxe resort. Our trip before the holidays was in October. At that time, we inquired at the desk and were told they were getting ready for Christmas decorations so this is why the areas were bare. There have been other changes that we have seen, and have attributed those to cost-cutting. The changes are not limited to décor; the quality of guest services has diminished. We do understand some of these so we are not averse to changes.

Upon arrival on Friday, the entry did have a floral arrangement, just one - in the entry. I had seen others’ posts and pictures of the lobby this year but my wife had not. I had tried to prepare her but she could not believe her eyes. Long gone were Donald, Daisy, Lewy, Huey and Dewey-even Stitch was more festive than this. In its’ place was a table, a cash register, a few ginger bread houses (made from the kits they were selling). The only thing I can say is WOW! What had happened to the holiday décor that we had enjoyed in previous years? Is this what has happened to all of the resorts? No –Boardwalk seems to be the only resort suffering from anemic holiday displays.

Our morning plan was to visit the Epcot resorts to see the holiday decor. Dolphins' tree with its’ train was beautiful. ; as was the Chocolate Santa at Swan or is it the other way around. The Yacht and Beach Clubs were beautiful as always. During the course of our weekend we visited the Contemporary, Poly, Floridian, Wilderness, Jambo & Kidani. We could find the Hidden Mickeys or Olafs in the displays. The other resorts never gave us the feeling their only purpose was to sell us a gingerbread kit. All were very beautiful; some more than others. Happy Festivus!

We had done online check-in requesting an 1) upper floor, 2) near the elevator. We received the text stating that our room was ready while we were touring resorts. The room assigned to us was Room 1005. This room was on the ground floor, and at the end of the corridor. I know requests aren't guaranteed but this was the complete opposite. Our experience has been that if we request a preference at Boardwalk, we are pretty sure we will be assigned the opposite of our request. We haven’t had this issue at other resorts. We headed back to see if we could change rooms.

I have a question maybe someone could answer. What are the cast members at the front desk staring at on their screens when they are not helping a guest? Mind you no one was ahead of us and no one was checking in but there we stood waiting for someone to acknowledge us and ask to help us. Even what I assume was a manger was too busy in conversation to notice us. I'm 6'2" 260 lbs. wearing a bright red shirt, tough to miss. Finally with half a smile we were asked if she could help. We were told no other room was available (studio) but they could change us for our next night. She told us they would leave a message on our phone with instructions to confirm the switch. We didn’t receive a phone call; we had to follow up with the front desk to make our move the following day.

This was not the first time we have stayed in this room. Last time I had issues with the mold (common in ground level). I explained this to the cast member and was told the room had recently been refurbished and it would not be a problem. This time the room’s mold was in remission. I spotted adhesive being pushed up through the vinyl floor. This is usually caused by moisture pushing the adhesive up through the cracks. It hasn’t rained much in Orlando for a few months so mold was not a problem this trip but this room has ongoing issues.

This love lost of the Boardwalk has been building for a while, with its’ less than friendly staff. This comment may be bit strong but there is a marked difference between resorts. We have many encounters with so many cast members that make our stay very magical-just not as many at the Boardwalk. This was once our favorite. We are sad to say that this is no longer true.

We also just stayed at Boardwalk and I totally agree with you about the lobby. When I saw the lame gingerbread houses and the cash register I thought to myself, "What the heck?". We've stayed at BWV for nearly every New Year's Eve for the past 17 years and know what the lobby usually looks like over Christmas. This year it looked like an elementary school bake sale. Our one and only request in our online check-in and that was "high floor". We too have had the pleasure of booking a Boardwalk View studio and ending up with lovely room 1005. We were assigned 2007. Gee ... thanks for the high floor! At least they didn't put us in 1005 again.

The staff, on the other hand, was very nice. One CM patiently and with good humor swiped 12 $50 gift cards the night before check out to pay for our room charges. The CM that checked us in was also nice. This was the first time we did online check-in and I am confused why it is even offered at all as our MBs didn't work in the gate when we arrived and we still had to go to the front desk. If we were able to bypass everything it would make sense. I know that's not a BWV thing, but it struck me as strange that we still had to check-in. the only advantage I saw was that I knew our room number in advance and I was able to check the location in advance.

 

[LisaS]

This was the first time we did online check-in and I am confused why it is even offered at all as our MBs didn't work in the gate when we arrived and we still had to go to the front desk. If we were able to bypass everything it would make sense. I know that's not a BWV thing, but it struck me as strange that we still had to check-in. the only advantage I saw was that I knew our room number in advance and I was able to check the location in advance.

We also did online check-in in October. We had a rental car and we had our MBs but I assumed we needed to stop at the guard hut on arrival to get our parking pass so I didn't try using the MB to open the entry gate. We bypassed the front desk and went right to the room. Our MBs worked fine for everything, including the parking lot gate when we did use the MB to open it. Perhaps it doesn't work on the gate until after you've used it to enter your room? Just a guess.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

This was the first time we did online check-in and I am confused why it is even offered at all as our MBs didn't work in the gate when we arrived and we still had to go to the front desk. If we were able to bypass everything it would make sense. I know that's not a BWV thing, but it struck me as strange that we still had to check-in. the only advantage I saw was that I knew our room number in advance and I was able to check the location in advance.

My understanding is that the MB's have to be "activated" by use on your room door. Once that happens then they will work for other things such as the entry gate.

I've never tried the entry gate first to verify - always check in with the guard and then go straight to the room.

Of course, as I mentioned above BWV is kind of my nemesis for MB's and room doors but even so, it has worked at times.

 

[LSchrow]

We were also at BWV this past Oct and May, as every year for over a decade (almost all our stays are preceded by a night or 2 at another resort). If anything, we had the opposite experience: entire resort including room were very clean, supplies were plentiful, the gorgeous flower displays were out, castmembers were wonderful (including a wonderful housekeeper & bellhops), & a number of CMs who went out of their way to make us smile. we had a very pleasant chat with a manager (whom we had not met before) - we were so impressed with the time she spent, as well as how informative she was.
One of our favorite things about the BWV is that the CMs, including HKing, maintenance, front desk, bell services, pool & CH, all respond to our "hello" when passing, something we found non-existent at most every other resort.

Our only complaint, albeit a minor one, is that our room requests (we always book BW view studios, requesting lower floor, near elevator thru MS and/or online) have not only not been met in the past 2 years, but have apparently not even been relayed to the resort. Thankfully, everything else is "just about perfect in every way"

 

[suebeelin]

We were happy with bwv this past December. The renovations were wonderful- in the past we have had old dirty tired rooms. We would rather the lobby not have xmas decorations but receive a clean room.

Once we had pubic hair all over the tub, it was so gross. Crumbs were also all over the carpet in the living room.

We prefer bwv now vs a few years ago.

 

[BestDadEver]

We have just spent the Christmas weekend at Boardwalk; our home resort. During previous trips, we had noticed that the resort seemed different. Notably absent were the beautiful floral arrangements in the entry. My wife has always loved the flowers in the entry, lobby and other common areas. This was one of the “touches” that made Boardwalk a deluxe resort. Our trip before the holidays was in October. At that time, we inquired at the desk and were told they were getting ready for Christmas decorations so this is why the areas were bare. There have been other changes that we have seen, and have attributed those to cost-cutting. The changes are not limited to décor; the quality of guest services has diminished. We do understand some of these so we are not averse to changes.

Upon arrival on Friday, the entry did have a floral arrangement, just one - in the entry. I had seen others’ posts and pictures of the lobby this year but my wife had not. I had tried to prepare her but she could not believe her eyes. Long gone were Donald, Daisy, Lewy, Huey and Dewey-even Stitch was more festive than this. In its’ place was a table, a cash register, a few ginger bread houses (made from the kits they were selling). The only thing I can say is WOW! What had happened to the holiday décor that we had enjoyed in previous years? Is this what has happened to all of the resorts? No –Boardwalk seems to be the only resort suffering from anemic holiday displays.

Our morning plan was to visit the Epcot resorts to see the holiday decor. Dolphins' tree with its’ train was beautiful. ; as was the Chocolate Santa at Swan or is it the other way around. The Yacht and Beach Clubs were beautiful as always. During the course of our weekend we visited the Contemporary, Poly, Floridian, Wilderness, Jambo & Kidani. We could find the Hidden Mickeys or Olafs in the displays. The other resorts never gave us the feeling their only purpose was to sell us a gingerbread kit. All were very beautiful; some more than others. Happy Festivus!

We had done online check-in requesting an 1) upper floor, 2) near the elevator. We received the text stating that our room was ready while we were touring resorts. The room assigned to us was Room 1005. This room was on the ground floor, and at the end of the corridor. I know requests aren't guaranteed but this was the complete opposite. Our experience has been that if we request a preference at Boardwalk, we are pretty sure we will be assigned the opposite of our request. We haven’t had this issue at other resorts. We headed back to see if we could change rooms.

I have a question maybe someone could answer. What are the cast members at the front desk staring at on their screens when they are not helping a guest? Mind you no one was ahead of us and no one was checking in but there we stood waiting for someone to acknowledge us and ask to help us. Even what I assume was a manger was too busy in conversation to notice us. I'm 6'2" 260 lbs. wearing a bright red shirt, tough to miss. Finally with half a smile we were asked if she could help. We were told no other room was available (studio) but they could change us for our next night. She told us they would leave a message on our phone with instructions to confirm the switch. We didn’t receive a phone call; we had to follow up with the front desk to make our move the following day.

This was not the first time we have stayed in this room. Last time I had issues with the mold (common in ground level). I explained this to the cast member and was told the room had recently been refurbished and it would not be a problem. This time the room’s mold was in remission. I spotted adhesive being pushed up through the vinyl floor. This is usually caused by moisture pushing the adhesive up through the cracks. It hasn’t rained much in Orlando for a few months so mold was not a problem this trip but this room has ongoing issues.

This love lost of the Boardwalk has been building for a while, with its’ less than friendly staff. This comment may be bit strong but there is a marked difference between resorts. We have many encounters with so many cast members that make our stay very magical-just not as many at the Boardwalk. This was once our favorite. We are sad to say that this is no longer true.

Did you leave the room or just inspect it the entire stay . Seems you really looking for issues

 

[jekjones1558]

My understanding is that the MB's have to be "activated" by use on your room door. Once that happens then they will work for other things such as the entry gate.

I've never tried the entry gate first to verify - always check in with the guard and then go straight to the room.

Of course, as I mentioned above BWV is kind of my nemesis for MB's and room doors but even so, it has worked at times.

Once when we were at BWV I used DH's MagicBand to get into the room and then tried to use my MagicBand to open the gate and it wouldn't work. Learned our lesson then so henceforth we both use our Magic Band for entry when we arrive.